A discussion in English of the week in Georgia (the one near Chechnya not the one near Alabama) Don't know what a podcast is? Don't worry, just click on it and listen. კეთილი იყოს თქვენი მობრძანება! თუ ინგლისური იცით, დააჭირეთ ისარს და მოისმინეთ კვირის საინტერესო ამბები

4 thoughts on “TBLPOD17march2016”

The MEME this week is a photo going viral posted to facebook by British model Richard Biedul — of him side by side looking very much like the iconic photo of Shota Rustaveli. Link: http://bit.ly/1LCOsxP

In JAMnews, political analyst Ghia Nodia looks at the role of the Republicans in the Otsneba coalition and the recent infighting with other coalition parties. Link: http://bit.ly/1ZmLjVb

Voice of America speaks with Muslims in Georgia to uncover what lures people to join up fighting with Daesh. Link: http://bit.ly/1RPdg4N

Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reporter Liz Fuller writes that the South Ossetia leadership is not happy about the military agreement that is part of the treaty on integration with Russia. Link: http://bit.ly/1pwvIWo

In Eurasianet, Monica Ellena has an interesting piece on bread and status in Georgia. Link: http://bit.ly/1XJ3fYE

In the Huffington Post, analyst Armine Sahakyan writes a generous commentary about Georgia saying that public protests in Georgia were able to thwart the Gazprom deal. Link: http://huff.to/1P3iy8o

Stanford Alumni magazine has a bit on the university’s Special Language Program, including Georgian. Link: http://stanford.io/1Sevg8S

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Simon Janashia Museum of Georgia in Tbilisi has an exhibition of rare coins used in Georgia, dating from the 6th century BC to the 19th century.

In Tbilisi: until 27th of March, the British embassy is hosting a documentary photo exhibit looking ‘beyond the headlines’ in Pankisi Gorge. It’s at Europe House on Freedom Square.

In Vienna there is an ‘Architecture at the Intersection of Continents’ exhibition running until the end of April. It features a scale mockup of the Bank of Georgia head office in Tbilisi, which was initially the Soviet-era Roads Department.

In Tbilisi on the 19th of March at 8pm, there will be an ‘Earth Hour’ at the Round Garden hosted by the UNDP.

Anyone remember when the last large-scale student protests where in Georgia? Off the top of my head I can think of the 2001 protests initiated/led by students against the Rustavi 2 shuttering (See Paul Manning’s Rose Colored glasses article on it for background), but can’t think of anything this large since (I’m probably wrong though) .